Help Keep Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake Off the Endangered Species List

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking data and input on the eastern diamondback rattlesnake to determine whether the species is warranted for listing as threatened or endangered. As part of the Species Status Assessment Committee for the snake, FLA is requesting data from our members.

Layering private land data with the existing public land data will help to inform a scientifically sound species decision that may keep the snake off of the endangered or threatened species list. In the event that the snake is listed, having population data from private lands will help to create a sound 4(d) rule that recognizes the benefits of working forests, and help to inform voluntary conservation measures and regulatory assurances for landowners within the snake’s range.

If you are interested in submitting data about eastern diamondback rattlesnake populations or individual sightings on your property or elsewhere, please visit the National Council of Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI) eastern diamondback rattlesnake survey webpage.

NCASI is a trusted third party science-based organization that was a leader in submitting data on behalf of large, publicly traded timber companies during the gopher tortoise Species Status Assessment. Following the same model, NCASI will be combining and anonymizing all data submitted by private landowners through their online survey before sharing with the Service.

Data can be as general as county-level, or as detailed as you like. NCASI and the Service will continue collecting rattlesnake data throughout the duration of the Species Status Assessment process for the snake, which will likely take several months to a year to complete. However, the more data that we have early in the process, the better.

Please reach out to Katie Moss at kmoss@forestlandowners.com with any questions.